THE Home Office has no record of any correspondence with Anas Sarwar on migration, despite the Scottish Labour leader claiming to be in “talks” with the department, The National can reveal.
Sarwar said he had been discussing the possibility of tailored migration policies for Scotland – but critics now say the absence of official correspondence with the department raises questions for the MSP.
In response to a Freedom of Information request, shared with The National, the Home Office said it had no record of any official communications between the Scottish Labour leader and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (below) or any of her ministers pertaining to immigration.
Sarwar claimed last month to have been in talks with Cooper and Home Office ministers and said “they recognise there are different migration needs in different parts of the country”.
Immigration is a fraught issue for Scottish Labour, who are torn between the competing demands of businesses calling for greater migration to Scotland to boost workforce numbers while the UK party seeks to appear tough on the issue to win around right-wing voters in England.
Sarwar has been keen to portray himself as trying to mediate between these two positions and said that while he backed a “a single immigration system” the system should recognise “different demographics and different challenges in different parts of the country”.
In response to an FOI request for “any correspondence between the Home Secretary or Home Office ministers and Anas Sarwar MSP containing any of the following words: ‘immigration’, ‘rural visa’, ‘Scottish Visa’ or ‘migration’”, the department said: “The Home Office does not hold the information which you have requested.”
SNP MSP Kevin Stewart (above) said the response meant Sarwar had “questions to answer over this matter”.
He told The National: “The Home Office’s flippant dismissal of Scotland’s distinct immigration needs shows a complete lack of understanding of Scotland – the UK Government has no interest in securing Scotland’s population growth, economic growth, or supporting Scotland’s rural businesses.”
Stewart added: “Anas Sarwar has questions to answer over this matter – has he been straight with the public or is this a claim that was not based in reality?
“The SNP will always make the case for Scotland to make its own decisions to best meet its own needs, to stop population decline and support Scottish businesses, but once again, Labour has put their own political agenda before the interests of Scotland.”
Sarwar has been slapped down in the past on migration by the UK Government, with the Home Office ruling out tailored migration policies for Scotland.
He has previously suggested that the New Labour-era “Fresh Talent” scheme could be revived, which gave foreign graduates from Scottish universities the chance to stay on in the country for two years to find employment.
Scotland’s declining population means both the Scottish Government and many businesses believe that increased immigration is the best way to solve the problems caused by a shrinking workforce.
Tensions between the Scottish Labour leader and the UK party will again be thrown into the spotlight by the UK Government’s renewed anti-immigration push on Monday, with MPs set to debate a raft of what some campaigners have called "dangerous" new powers to crack down on migrants.
A Scottish Labour spokesperson insisted Sarwar had discussed migration with UK Government ministers.
They said: “This is desperate stuff from the SNP. Relationships in the SNP may have deteriorated so badly that they only communicate via formal letter, but that isn’t the only way to discuss things.
“Anas Sarwar regularly discusses a range of issues with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and just last week the Migration Minister Seema Malhotra was in the north east of Scotland discussing the issues affecting Scotland.”
The Home Office was approached for comment.
